Video Poker Doubling

Video Poker is a suitable alternative if blackjack is not an option for fulfilling the wagering requirement (WR), so we decided to introduce you to a doubling strategy that greatly reduces the house edge.

If you decide to try your luck and choose Video Poker, in most cases you will be asked if you want to try to double your profit. If you accept this offer, your financial fate will be decided in the top card game. Five cards are dealt (of course, their values are not visible) where the dealer automatically chooses the one on the far left. You can choose any of the remaining four. If your card is higher than the one chosen by the dealer, your winnings will be doubled. If your card is lower, you lose all the money you have won in this round before playing the “double”. There’s no house edge in this case, so this tactic can be considered a simple either-or situation with a 50% chance of each option.

If you manage to double the amount, you will be able to choose whether you want to finish the round and double your previous winnings or attempt another double. Some casinos allow you to take advantage of a “double half” feature where you attempt to double only half the winning amount – in all other respects, the half-doubling process is identical to the normal doubling.

How to use doubling right?

When should this tactic be used? The doubling strategy can only bring you a significant advantage if the wagers entering the individual rounds are added to the total amount of wagering requirement (WR). Due to the absence of any house edge, you can increase your chances of fulfilling the WR, which, of course, does not apply if “double” bets do not count against the WR. From among the gaming software that allows this way of achieving the WR, we can list Playtech or OddsOn Casinos in particular. An example of the opposite is any Microgaming casino, both Classic Microgaming Casino or its Viper version.

As an example, we’ll show you a simple procedure that should help you reduce the overall house edge without significantly reducing your chances of winning. Overall, an accelerated progress and easier way to fulfil the WR are the main reasons why you should try that strategy. If you think that the above-mentioned procedure did not meet your expectations, don’t hesitate to modify them as you see fit. The proposed system is not fixed and can be tweaked as needed. It is very important that it suits you completely.

Suppose we choose Jacks or Better Video Poker (JoB VP) in the 4 handed variants and choose $0.25 as the price of a single coin. The total sum of the bet thus amounts to $5. Our goal is to meet the wagering requirement with a base deposit of $100 and an assigned 100% monetizable bonus. The total WR, therefore, has a value of 15x (D+B) or $3,000.

Before we start the game, we will consider the estimated amount and set it as the financial limit for the doubling of bets. Its value should be equal to 2.5 times the total bet amount. So if we bet $5 in every round, then our financial limit is $12.5. If we do not reach this limit, we will double the bets. For simplicity, let’s show a simple example. Imagine that you’re holding a pair of cards in your hand, say “pair of Queens – QQ”. In this case, you will be paid a win of $5. Because this amount does not exceed the double limit of $12.5; we choose to play “double”. If we win and the amount doubles to $10, we’re still below the limit. Therefore, we repeat the “double” option. If we win this time, too, the reached amount of $20 exceeds our limit. We will no longer play with the money and we’ll end the round. If the game offers the option “double half”, we will use it and we will continue to play with half the amount won so far until we are defeated.

We have described the basic strategy for VP doubling – it is advisable to always choose “double” unless the win exceeds $12.5. After we exceed the financial limit, we continue with the “double half” options. We repeat the above procedure for as long as needed to satisfy the WR.

Choosing a financial limit

The amount we chose as the “double limit” can be adjusted according to personal preference, usually, 2-5 times the total deposit is recommended.

In general, the higher you set this “double limit”, the higher your profit can be. On the other hand, a drop in overall preferences is unavoidable. It also increases the likelihood that you will have to end the game prematurely. If you have a big appetite for risk and you have a high enough bankroll, make sure to set your “double limit” to a higher value. If your bankroll does not exceed $1000, do not gamble and choose a maximum of 2.5 times the total bet.

Using the doubling strategy on Sticky Bonus type I

First, we set a higher financial limit than the one we would choose to play with a cashable bonus. Your goal should be to meet your pre-set financial limit before you manage to complete the prescribed WR. In this case, the “double limit” (do not confuse with the sticky bonus I base play limit) should be a value between 3-6 times the base bet. The exact value of the limit is determined primarily by the size of the standard sticky limit (we always choose that one as opposed to the “double limit” – see sticky bonus I). They are directly proportional – the higher the basic sticky limit, the higher the “double limit”. Before reaching it, we will double the bet.

Once the expected amount is reached, we will lower the value of individual bets and also reduce the doubling limit (in order to lower the risk, we can completely skip doubling at this stage of the game). After the necessary reduction in game aggressiveness, we will meet the WR while maintaining the maximum possible profit.

Benefits of the doubling strategy

There are several benefits stemming from this gaming process. Overall, you’ll experience much more fun and excitement than by simply fulfilling the blackjack WR limit with ever-repeating bets. The increased risk can be offset by the fact that you will always have at least a minimum chance of building a Royal Flush.

If you apply the above rules and choose the aggressive concept of the game, you can reduce the total house edge to a value that is lower than that of BJ. If our “double limit” is set to three times the base bet, we will be able to play about 60-80% WR when applying the double. Those have, as we already mentioned, 0% house edge. On average, the overall house edge will fall below 0.1%.

Using the doubling strategy you’ll speed up fulfilling the WR quickly. The exact speedup depends primarily on the chosen amount bets and on the chosen “double limit”.

A few final tips

If you are using doubling, always choose a card in the same position – for example, the middle card or the leftmost card. This will not increase your overall chances of winning, but it will speed up the game. This tactic can also help you keep your head clean. If you always choose the same card, you will not waste time with unnecessary thinking, and you will also prevent potential later guilt should your choice not succeed.

If you are unsure whether the gaming software in the casino you visited supports “double bet” for fulfilling the WR, do not hesitate to contact customer support. One of the options is also to look at the sum of your comp points. If you get comp points when using the doubling strategy, you can be sure that your bets will count towards your total WR.

When you manage to build a high hand (Four of a Kind, Straight, Flush or Royal flush), there is no reason at all to double. If you’re not a fan of pure gambling, do not even try “double half”. Take a high win and go on.

If you need to practice the above tactic first, take advantage of one of the many free games in fun mode.

Many players also prefer this strategy in casinos where BJ is allowed to fulfil the WR. By choosing a relatively aggressive tactic and a high financial limit, the house edge will be reduced, falling below the BJ value. Appropriate financial tolerance should then offset the increased risk arising from this tactic, which could be a major obstacle to applying this strategy to other players.